San Clemente Lifeguard and

Junior Guard Foundation

Fall 2019 Update

Thank you for your continued support of our San Clemente Lifeguard & Junior Guard

Foundation. Summer is over, and what a fantastic summer it was! Great weather and surf, and

lots of activities. Now, it’s fall, when the crowds leave, ocean temps drop, and seasonal surf

patterns change. Before we get too far into the new season, please join us as we recap Summer

2019.

A Word from the Chief

I’d like to start by thanking each of you. Whether you

are a supporter of our foundation, a parent of a Junior

Lifeguard, a lifeguard, or a Junior Lifeguard, all of you

play a role in keeping our beaches safe. It is truly an

honor and a privilege to be able to partner with such a

wonderful group of people.

Education, tools, training, and resources have all

contributed to San Clemente’s outstanding safety

record. The San Clemente Lifeguard and Junior Guard

Foundation has been tremendously supportive of

promoting ocean safety through their generous

donations. The foundation has provided equipment enhancements for our program,

educational opportunities through scholarships, and allowed many families to participate in our

Junior Lifeguard program who otherwise may not have been able to. Likewise, the foundation

has provided support for our lifeguard program with supplemental equipment and personal

gear for the lifeguards to support them in the field. Something all of our staff has appreciated

very much. On behalf of Marine Safety and the men and women working here, I want to send a

huge THANK YOU to you for your continued support.

You are truly making a difference in the lives of others.

Sincerely,

Bill Humphreys

Marine Safety Chief

A Busy Summer!

Our San Clemente lifeguards were very busy again this summer. Here are a few statistics for

Memorial Day through Labor Day. Great job Station 56!

1,149 rescues

21,344 preventative contacts

26,996 public education contacts

1,068 first aids, 7,367 ordinance enforcement contacts

And most importantly, another summer with NO LIVES LOST!

Meet Lifeguard of the Year, John Chetwynd

Congratulations to Lifeguard of the

Year, John Chetwynd. John was

selected by his fellow lifeguards and

was recognized at a lunch sponsored

by the Exchange Club and our

Foundation. John just finished his

sixth summer lifeguarding and has

been a JG instructor for five of those

years. John is a senior at San

Francisco State University, majoring

in economics. He’s the head researcher for multiple studies, as well as the Vice President of the

Economics Student Association. He’s also a big-time waterman and avid fishermen. Great job,

John. Well deserved!

Another Fantastic Junior Lifeguard Program Summer

The Marine Safety Department kicked off

another incredible Junior Lifeguard summer on

June 10th. More than 800 participants received

education and experience in ocean safety, first

aid, rescue techniques, body surfing, board

surfing, body boarding, physical fitness, and

Marine Safety operations. Our Foundation

provided 30 full scholarships for JGs that could

not otherwise afford to participate in the

program. We finished the summer off with our

second annual Lifeguard/JG Surf Contest. The

Surf contest was won by The Pigeons, led by JG

Instructor Jaden Blanc-Hall. Congratulations,

also, to JG of the Year, 15-year-old cadet Ian McKernan. Ian is a sophomore at San Clemente

High. We’re looking forward to having him join the Station 56 team in the future. Special thanks

to the San Clemente Kiwanis Club and Slyde Handboards for your support!

Our Foundation partnered with the City to produce a Junior Lifeguard promotional video. You

can view the video at https://www.san-clemente.org/recreation-community/beaches/beach-

safety/junior-lifeguards-.

Ocean and Beach Safety Awareness – We’re Getting the Word Out

Increasing ocean awareness is one of

our Foundation’s top goals. In

addition to information placed in San

Clemente hotels and restaurants by

the Marine Safety Department, this

summer we placed ocean safety

posters in all of the trolleys serving

San Clemente. We also were

successful in having Metrolink

conductors make a safety

announcement on all San Clemente

Pier stops. Thanks to the City of San Clemente and Metrolink for partnering with us!

Making Great Progress to Preserve Our Heritage

We’re making great progress in preserving the heritage of Station 56 by archiving historical

photos and capturing memories of our experiences as lifeguards and junior guards. Check out

our website at https://scljgfoundation.com/our-mission. There you will find Gallery and

Storyboard pages that will take you back in time. Learn about the history of the Department,

Tower 0 and Beach Patrol. Take a virtual HQ tour. Climb up the inside of the clock tower.

Recently, we have added team pictures from 1958 – 1967, including the names of the guards in

the photos. Thanks to Larry Moore and Jerry Hawk for making this happen. We are currently

researching history on how the lifeguards communicated in the early days. When did the PBX

switchboard come into use? Anyone with information or pictures, please contact us at

scljgf@gmail.com.

Thank You, San Clemente Rotary

On September 21, the San Clemente Rotary held a Poker

Night to raise money for JG scholarships. The evening

raised $2,500 This will allow eight San Clemente youth who

otherwise could not afford the program to be JGs next

summer. Thank you, San Clemente Rotarians!

Summer Role Model Series

This summer, we again partnered with the Surfing Heritage & Culture Center to provide community ocean awareness and safety programs. Together, we put together a three-event “Role Model” series where our young watermen and waterwomen met and heard positive messages from ocean lifestyle role models – lifeguards, top-ranked amateur and professional surfers, big wave chargers, SUP and lifeguards, paddleboard champions, ocean lifestyle ambassadors, environmental activists and local “legends.” Our first event on June 22 was titled Safety First! We followed that event with “Let’s All Share the Stoke!” on July 20 and “Girl Power in the Ocean!” On August 10. Many thanks to lifeguards John Chetwynd, Raselle Chetwynd and Sawyer Labbe who served as role models, and our sponsors, Bemus Landscaping, Kramer Orthopedics, South Coast Distributors, Dana Innovations and Stance.

Click here to listen to Role Model Dan Gudauskas talk about the importance of Junior Lifeguards at our Share the Stoke event - https://www.facebook.com/scljgf/videos/401576750702704.

The Positive Vibe Warriors Put on Another Epic Stoke O Rama!

On Saturday, October 19, the Positive Vibe Warrior

Foundation held the 8th annual Stoke-O-Rama at T

Street. Young surfers and their families spent the day at

the beach, participating in fun surfing competition,

beach activities and just generally being stoked on life.

Again, this year, the Positive Vibe Warriors will donate

$10,000 to support our Junior Lifeguards and beach

safety programs. Thanks so much, Positive Vibe

Warriors. You rock! Photo by Max Weber.

Want Your Own Foundation Coffee Mug?

We’ve teamed with Cafepress.com to make Foundation gear

available to you. Just go to https://bit.ly/31wa1Ja and order

yours today! An easy way to support our activities.

Clean Ocean Program Grant

Our Foundation recently received a $2,000 grant from the San Clemente Clean Ocean Program. The grant funds will be used to facilitate incorporation of Clean Ocean concepts into the Junior Guard training curriculum. Our goal is to increase knowledge, awareness and skills in watershed and Clean Ocean concepts. The grant money will be spent to provide education materials and motivational awards for accomplishment of learning objectives.

Become a Foundation Supporter

For just $10 per year, you can join us in supporting our lifeguard and Junior Lifeguard programs.

All donations are used to provide supplies and scholarships for San Clemente Jr. Lifeguards and

to support San Clemente Lifeguards. To become a Foundation member, visit

www.scljgfoundation.com/join-us. Thank you for your support!

We’ve Updated Our Mission Statement

We recently updated our mission statement to reflect our commitment to preserving the

heritage of Station 56.

SAN CLEMENTE LIFEGUARD AND JUNIOR GUARD FOUNDATION

MISSION STATEMENT

The San Clemente Lifeguard & Junior Guard Foundation is dedicated to enhancing the safety

and well-being of visitors to the beach through education, community partnerships, and

providing resources to support the San Clemente Marine Safety Division’s Lifeguard and Junior

Lifeguard programs. The Foundation also supports preservation of the history and memorabilia

of San Clemente Lifeguarding.

Please Keep in Touch!

We’d love to hear from you. You can keep up to date on Foundation activities by visiting our

website at www.scljgfoundation.com, our Facebook page www.facebook.com/scljgf, or our

Instagram page at https://www.instagram.com/scljgfoundation. . You can also e-mail us at

scljgf@gmail.com. Please help us spread the word by passing this update on to your friends.

See you in the water!